The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1887-07-28

gray owl, to come to his aid. Sud.
denly he stops, rises from his place,
runs to the opening Of the "yurta,"
and knocks three times upon the
wooden framework, thus announc-
ing that the spirits have arrived and
want water-fof they cannot be con.
suited until they have had drink. In.
stantly an assistant seizes . bowl Of
water which 10 in readiness and empties
the contents up the chimney or smoke.
hole. The Shamman now takes the bowl
himself, spins It round in his hand,
throws It up in the air and lets II fall on
to the ground. II 1t falls bottom upward,
it is . good omen, indicating that the
spirits have assuaged their thirst and
are now propitious. If the vessel falls
otherwise, everything must be done over
again. Then the ceremony proceeds.
The priest walks three times round the
fire, in . direction contrary to the sun,
throws In more fat and thyme-leaves,
and, amid the smoke, stands down by
the bedside of the sick man and, with
arms outstretched, pronounces the mys-
tic formula "Brr-Krr": words signify.
ing in the Shamman lingo, ''Be healthy
you you. y ",d Az NJ present , y respond "Be fortu
The good gen}i are now within the
circle, but the Shamman has yet to con-
suit them on behalf of the sick man.
So he seats himself again by the fire in
the centre of the tent and begins gen.
tie tapping of the "tiur," keeping time
to a slow and monotonous chant. He
starts an invocation in the jargon Of his
cult, and walks rapidly round the
"yurta." All at once he begins to hoot
like an owl; the Tatars in the ''yurta"
nod to each other; they say he Is COM
muning with the Neutrality-suspicious."
the great owl-spirit. He screams like q
raven-the black "kuskun," the night
bird. is now conversing with him. He
quacks like duck-he Is inquiring Of
the sacred yellow.bill. He whistles
softly-the wood demons are believed
to be with him. For fully half an hour
this communing with the genii is carried
on, when the beating of the "tiur" Is
changed, and the Shamman rushes out
side and throws himself upon the
ground. He is going in search Of the
remedy which the spirits have recon-
mended, at least SO the action of The
priest Is interpreted by those inside. He
taps steadily upon the tambourine in i'm
itation of the trotting of horse-he is
riding off, the Tatars tell each other.
He beats more rapidly-he is galloping.
He slackens and breathes heavily-he is
riding up the hill. He beats the "tiur"
irregularly-he has gone wrong and is
crossing river; now quickly, he is
once more en- route. He rolls about
on the ground and calls for help
the evil spirits are supposed to have
attacked him as he Is grasping the
herbs for which he seeks. He screams
shrieks and shakes from head to foot in
simulated pantomime-he is struggling
with the demons, but at length is vic.
torious. The regular beating of the "tiur''
is resumed, and the people inside say he
is riding home again. Not unfrequently
this part of the ceremony is protracted
for hours, for the further the Shamman
has to go-and he really is believed to
travel in spirit form-and the greater the
difficulties he encounters, the more
highly priced the remedy he brings. Al
length, he rushes into the tent, crushei
some leaves he has about him in bow
of curdled milk, which he administers to
the sick man, and, once more pronounc.
ing the benediction "Brr-Krr," the cere
mony Is at an end.
If the patient RECEIVERS, the medicine
man receives the usual reward; If not
and the sick person survive, the perfor
nance is repeated on the night Of tht
next new moon.